Entertainment

AT&T and Google Square Off Over Alleged FCC Violations

Remember the dust up over Google Voice getting rejected from the Apple's App Store? The "he said, she said" quarrel is officially being investigated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). All of the parties involved — Apple, Google, AT&T — have said their peace, and no one is claiming guilt. Most of us suspect Apple, but there's new proof that AT&T is none too happy with the Google Voice service.

Earlier today AT&T filed a letter with the FCC requesting that the organization investigate Google for violating telecommunications laws. According to the Washington Post, AT&T is accusing Google Voice of "blocking some calls to rural areas to cut down on network access expenses."

AT&T's accusation is a big deal in the telecommunications industry, because phone operators are required to offer unrestricted access. Google, however, doesn't consider themselves a traditional phone operator, which, if true, would make them exempt from the FCC regulations as they stand.

AT&T's letter is a polite nudge to force the FCC to interject themselves into the equation. Should their letter fall on deaf ears, they plan to follow suit with a formal complaint. In statement to the press on the matter, Robert Quinn, senior vice president for federal regulatory affairs at AT&T, said the following inflammatory words:

"By openly flouting the call blocking prohibition that applies to its competitors, Google is acting in a manner inconsistent with the spirit, if not the letter, of the FCC's fourth principle contained in its Internet Policy Statement,"

"Ironically, Google is also flouting the so-called 'fifth principle of non-discrimination' for which Google has so fervently advocated."

"Google Voice's goal is to provide consumers with free or low-cost access to as many advanced communications features as possible. In order to do this, Google Voice does restrict certain outbound calls from our Web platform to these high-priced destinations. But despite AT&T's efforts to blur the distinctions between Google Voice and traditional phone service, there are many significant differences:

- Unlike traditional carriers, Google Voice is a free, Web-based software application, and so not subject to common carrier laws.- Google Voice is not intended to be a replacement for traditional phone service — in fact, you need an existing land or wireless line in order to use it. Importantly, users are still able to make outbound calls on any other phone device.- Google Voice is currently invitation-only, serving a limited number of users.

AT&T is trying to make this about Google's support for an open Internet, but the comparison just doesn't fly. The FCC's open Internet principles apply only to the behavior of broadband carriers — not the creators of Web-based software applications. Even though the FCC does not have jurisdiction over how software applications function, AT&T apparently wants to use the regulatory process to undermine Web-based competition and innovation."

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